With a week to go the World Cup will suddenly be feeling very real for Fabio Capello and his England players. This point can be considered the start of a journey but for a national team coach there have already been many months of hard work. The hope now is that they count for something.

Most people do not appreciate the work that goes into preparing for a tournament. You have to plan to be there for the whole period and that means visiting all the possible hotels and training venues you could be in, doing a complete recce of every site. It is essential to avoid surprises: you do not want to arrive and find out that the hotel kitchens are too small for the chef or that there are problems with medical facilities. I flew to China three times before the 2007 World Cup to make sure everything was as I wanted. I would have gone 10 times but for the distance.

Then there are the months of looking at detailed reports on each of your group opponents – their results, goalscorers, assists, crosses, likely line-ups, formations, video, stats, written reports. That information needs to be presented to the players visually before setting it out on a pitch in real play so they can get a feel for the way the opposition will play and, crucially, how to counter them.

You focus predominantly on the first game as once the tournament starts any information you already have on your next opponent is rendered in part obsolete as new stats and video come in and you have to keep abreast of it all. The pressures on a coach are constant. The days are long. Every bit of detail, analysis, review, feedback, preparation needs going through. The working hours are from seven in the morning until midnight, running on adrenaline and very little sleep. It is tough for a coach.

The selection process that the fans and pundits love to debate goes far beyond finding a starting XI. Most coaches can tell you their first-choice team but the bigger picture is providing cover because I can guarantee that, if you make it all the way to the final, it will rarely be with the same 11 players. At the Euros last year I did not have the same back four once – Anita Asante, Alex Scott and Faye White all got injured, so in every single game we were forced to change things around.

God forbid Wayne Rooney gets injured but there has to be a centre-forward to replace him. The whole world knows about Rooney and he is going to get marked and targeted. Players have to adapt. Our Rooney is Kelly Smith and when she plays for England we tell her to limit her touches, get it and give it. When the opposition see she is not trying to dribble, they back off a little and that is when she can work her magic.

A lot of hidden factors go into selection decisions. In such a specific environment as a World Cup there are reasons why some players get picked and it is not always about technical ability. When you are in a trench and you need someone to fight your corner, do you want the more gifted player who is a bit timid or someone who is brave and strong? I know which I would choose.

World Cup football is seriously tough, on and off the pitch. The jump between club and country is huge. The expectations for England to do well and win a major tournament are enormous. The newspapers, the fans – it is a lot for players to deal with – and difficult for players to cope. We have a psychologist who assists with coping strategies. There is the physical aspect, too. After a long season you need players who can last all seven games.

In tournament football anything can happen. At Euro 2005 we won our first game and then did not make it out of the group. At the Euros last year we lost our first game and an experienced player got sent off – madness – but we made it to the final. You have to be prepared for the unexpected.

I really like Fabio and I hope the team does well – it would be great for football in England. They just have to remember to enjoy it because, even when you get to the final, it is all over in a flash.